More then half an hour late, the 3-car EMU electric train 411 # 103/104 of the North Macedonian Railways (Železnici na Republika Severna Makedonija Transport) for 25000 v 50 Hz AC is ready for departure in Skopje as train IR 611 to Veles-Negotina Vardar-Gevgelija. Two three-car Class 411 EMUs have been built by CRRC in China under a contract signed in June 2014. The railway announced in June 2019 that the units have had electrical problems, which the manufacturer refuses to fix under warranty. There have also been issues with procuring spare parts, as the costs of shipping the items from China exceed the value of the parts themselves. The units were financed in part with a €25 million loan from the European Bank for Reconstruction & Development. In the background is the 1067 meter high Vodno mountain, with the 77 meter high Millenium cross on the right and the 155 meter high telecommunication tower in construction. The old Skopje railway station was largely destroyed in the severe earthquake of 1963. This new building was opened in 1981. The tracks are located 10.5 meters above street level on a bridge approximately two kilometers long, which first crosses the Vardar River coming from the north and then leads into the station. The station extends over a total length of 963 meters. Of the ten track troughs, only five are equipped with tracks, which have usable lengths between 492 and 566 meters. The tracks are located on three 407-meter-long and 12-meter-wide central platforms. The structure is supported by earthquake-proof concrete pillars and covered by a tubular platform hall. Below the platforms are the ticket offices and waiting rooms, which are separated from the street by glass facades. The interiors are designed with exposed concrete walls and ceilings in the brutalist style.
